Necromantic Arts and Elvish Healing
by AimTrekRaider7
Summary: Set at the end of series two, the friendship between elf and paladin is threatened by a malicious necromantic force. Palladium is targeted while this force hunts for amiable beings to corrupt. Meanwhile, a thief arrives in Magix whose plans of negotiating with the necromantic force could leave the dimension entirely devoid of life. (on hiatus bc I'm not happy with it...)
1. Chapter 1

Author's notes:

-I'm not an expert on the show (that I don't own!) - I've only seen the first three series and I've only watched the first two more recently, because that's all British Netflix thinks we want here.

-I'm only used to writing scripts with no description or context, so if the description between dialogue seems awkward, that'll be why. I also never intended to put this on the Internet, which makes it harder still.

-I'm imagining series two took place over the autumn term - I don't know exactly when it took place, so let's just go with it.

-If any of the characters seem out of character, again, I'm not an expert.

-There is an overriding plot showing through at times, but it's mostly centred on Palladium and his actions.

-It's dark. But that's for the plot. There are OCs. That's for the plot too.

-I know there is a nurse at Alfea but I don't remember her name (if she has one) so I'm sticking with my placeholder. I'm considering using creative liberty as an excuse if I've really got her character wrong.

-Shadow virus? That sounds familiar... - I've used the word but it relates to something slightly different.

-I've taken huge creative liberty with at least a few things in this so please bear with me.

-E.g. Supper is after dinner because I personally prefer a snack before I go to bed, instead of having a full stomach from an evening meal.

-As is mandatory, or so it seems, a 'first meeting' scene has to be included!

-Kudos to anyone who recognises the language used in places!

* * *

A little over a week before the end of the autumn term, mulling over the day's events on the way to his room, Palladium was stopped in the corridor.  
"Palladium, I'd like a word with you if you have time."  
Faragonda was at the other end. He could not imagine what she needed to talk to him about that she had not mentioned earlier, but he reasoned that it could not be anything too unpleasant. Not that the thought did anything to prevent suspicion seeping in at the back of his mind.  
"Of course," he said in reply, and followed her to her office.  
Once inside, she sat behind her desk and motioned for him to sit in a chair opposite. She looked concerned, which did nothing to reduce the feeling of suspicion that had been growing in him during the silent walk to the office.  
"I'm afraid this is going to be a little hard for you to hear this," she began, "But the man who had befriended you was not all he has seemed to be."  
His suspicions were confirmed. This was not going to be an ordinary, pleasant, conversation. Palladium settled into his usual position of tensed shoulders, crossed ankles, and hands tightly clasped in his lap; a position he assumed in most situations he was uncomfortable with.  
"I don't follow you..."  
Faragonda sighed, looked down at her desk, then up again and said,  
"He was sent by Darkar as a spy to infiltrate our school and settle here."  
"I see..."  
"The true Avalon is currently recovering in the medical wing from his long term imprisonment."

He said nothing, but continued to look at her whilst struggling to process the multitude of thoughts that had begun to crowd into his head.  
"Are you all right?"  
He attempted to clear his mind a little.  
"Fine. I am fine."  
"Please do not fall into the habit of likening him to the impostor."  
"Faragonda, that sort of reasoning is highly unnecessary and would not occur to me."  
"Good..."  
She sounded unconvinced, and with good reason, as he could not help but say,  
"...I do wonder though, if his supposed friendship with me was just manipulation. He did behave in such a way that he appeared normal-"  
"Palladium."  
"I am just wondering whether or not the affair was set up or opportunistic."  
"It will do you no good to think about it." she said firmly. "Please do not think that you will have no value to Avalon. You have no idea of his true personality and therefore avoiding him as you are wont to do will be most unwise."  
"I suppose so..."

As he left her office Palladium considered going to the medical wing to visit this 'true Avalon', but could think of many reasons why that would be a poor decision. For one, Avalon was supposed to be recovering. There was a good chance he would still be asleep when he got there and then he would have to explain to the nurse why he was there at all. For another, he was still sorting through the thoughts that had filled his mind earlier. He did wonder whether or not he could befriend this... Stranger? He knew Avalon, or rather; he knew what the impostor wanted him to know. But how accurate had this charade been? Was he emulating him perfectly? If so, the friendship he had with the impostor would be quite feasible with the real person. Then again, what if it was not quite a perfect emulation? What if certain aspects were there simply for the plan? If that were the case, there would be a strong chance that Avalon would not particularly want to know him. Especially not if he had been friendly with the impostor. He decided against visiting the recovering paladin and carried on to his room.

The next day was a Saturday. Avalon had mostly recovered from his imprisonment and he'd been filled in on the inner workings on the school whilst in the medical wing, so he had spent part of his afternoon sorting through the possessions the impostor had brought with it and the notes it had made on his classes and their progress. It hadn't taken him long as he found that his belongings had been precisely organised - as though he'd done it himself. The whole situation felt surreal as people looked at him with familiarity, while he saw nothing he would recognise. He felt almost like he was recovering from amnesia, though he knew he had no memories to recover. Once he had finished inspecting the contents of his room, both marvelling and feeling uncomfortable at the same time with the attention to detail in the impostor's packing, he realised he had nothing to do. Faragonda had explained various duties to be done around the school but hadn't given him anything to do as she wanted to make sure he was comfortable with where he was. The impostor had finished most of his work for him and he wasn't in the mood to go and socialise in the staff room, so he found himself rather bored.

In his boredom, Avalon sat on one of the two small blue sofas in the centre of his room, still taking in his surroundings. It was still early in the afternoon and he was wondering what he should do with the rest of his day. He was feeling much better than he had when he first arrived so he didn't particularly want to stay in his room, but he couldn't think of anything else to do. It occurred to him that he hadn't seen much more of the school than the basic places to which he would need to go and thought for a moment about going for a walk to familiarise himself with places he hadn't already seen, but thought better of it when he realised that he could quite easily lose his way in some obscure corridor. If anyone needed to find him it could take a while and he couldn't be sure how long the energy he had at the moment would last. Though he felt better he knew he wasn't back to full health and it would take him a while to recover his stamina. He didn't want to write to his friends at Malacoy either as he wouldn't have much to write that wasn't about his imprisonment, and he knew that Faragonda had written earlier to explain the situation so they at least knew what had happened. He decided to wait at least a few days longer before trying to draft a letter that would allay his friends' concerns. After thinking all this through he had pretty much resigned himself to waiting out the afternoon in his room until dinner. That was when he noticed he could hear someone walking along the corridor outside his room. Someone with light footsteps; not fast, skipping ones like those of the energetic leprechaun he'd met earlier, but leisurely ones with an even pace. He wondered if this could be the elf he'd heard about as he knew the elf's room was next to his. Perhaps, if the elf - Palladium, he remembered - had as little to do as he did, his plan of further exploration was not entirely out of the question...

Palladium had finished the work he intended to finish rather quicker than he had hoped, and with no further duties until securing the school for the night, he was intending to spend the rest of the afternoon in his room. He wanted to avoid interacting with people as much as possible, as today was one of those days where he could hardly bring himself to look at anyone, let alone hold a conversation. He had spent the day in his potions laboratory to increase the likelihood that no one would find him and now that he was finished with his work he was going to hide himself in his room until he absolutely had to leave it. He felt oddly defenceless, so the best course of action would be to stay where fewer people would come looking for him until he felt he had regained some of his confidence. On his journey upstairs he felt a little childish, hiding round corners and taking hidden passages whenever he could hear anyone else, but as the point of this was to avoid seeing anyone it hardly mattered anyway. By the time he reached his room he had decided that he would spend the rest of his afternoon organising the marking he would get done the next day and then settle down until dinner with some herbal tisane and a book. Once inside he put his satchel down on the chair by his desk and was just undoing the slightly worn buckles on the front when he heard a knock at the door. The tightness that had left his chest as he arrived at his room returned.

Avalon waited in the silence that followed his knocking. He could hear movement inside and something that sounded like a sigh. He hoped he wasn't being a nuisance. The door opened, and half hidden behind it was the elf he'd heard about.  
"Yes?"  
"Are you busy?"  
"Well... No. I am not."  
"I realised I didn't have anything to do and wanted to explore the school a little more - I've only been to the places I need to go to - but I didn't think I should go by myself."  
"And...?"  
He seemed hesitant. Nervous, in fact. The elf was meeting his eyes, but his head was tilted down and pulled slightly back.  
"I was wondering if you wanted to come for a walk. I hadn't met you earlier, so I thought even if you didn't want to I'd at least get to meet you now."  
"I suppose that's reasonable."  
"Well?"  
The elf looked down for a moment as if in thought, and then started suddenly,  
"-Forgive me; I forget my manners too easily. If you would come in I could suggest an alternative to your proposition."  
"Why not?"  
The elf pushed the door open fully and led him into the room.  
"Please, sit. I was just about to make some tisane - would you like any?"  
"No, thank you. I prefer green teas."  
"I have none left, unfortunately."

Avalon sat on the sofa to the right when he walked in and looked around the room, making sure he wasn't too obvious in doing so. This room was more 'lived-in' than his own, with the shelves behind him laden with books and strange objects, and with exotic looking plants he couldn't name seemingly growing across the ceiling. He stopped in his scrutiny as the elf started brewing the tisane, and focused his attention on the small cooking area in the opposite corner of the room. The afternoon sun was shining outside and the light was coming through the French windows in such a way that the elf's caramel hair seemed to glow. He continued to watch the elf and was entranced by his precise, fluid movements and could have stayed watching him for a long time had the elf not started speaking.  
"You say you had not met me."  
"-I wanted to, but you were never around."  
"You seem quite keen."  
"I'd heard about you."  
"Oh?"  
He turned around.  
"I mentioned going hiking in the forest during my spare time while I was in the staff room earlier and someone said that if- well, I should ask if you wanted to come with me, as you know the forest very well."  
The elf turned back to the tisane that was now fully brewed and said wryly,  
"I believe what you were about to say was 'if you could get me to talk to you'. And might there have been mentions of analysis of plant life?"  
"Well, yes."  
"I know what they say about me. I do not mind. I prefer listening to talking because one finds out more, and as I have spent a lot of time outdoors it should come as no surprise to people when I display in-depth knowledge of my surroundings."  
Eventually, he came and sat at the other end of the sofa. Again, Avalon noticed his discomfort as the movements that had been smooth and flowing were now stiff and restrained.  
"But now for my alternative. You might be aware that I usually secure the school in the evening. If you are not averse to staying up late you could come with me. I can understand, though, if you will still be recovering from..."  
His voice trailed off. Perhaps this was the cause of his unease?  
"I've spent a lot of time recovering. I'd like to start doing things to stop me thinking about what happened."  
"I usually lock up after supper. If you are going to be there, come with me once you have finished. I believe doing this will be more practical because you will learn what the task entails and there will be fewer people about."  
"That seems sensible. Now I'm back to the problem of what to do with the rest of the afternoon."  
The elf seemed mystified; it was possible that he had misunderstood him when he said he had nothing to do.  
"Have you nothing to read? No one to write to?"  
"I'm not in the mood to read and I'm not contacting any friends until I've got more to say than a repetition of Miss Faragonda's letter of explanation."  
"I see your problem."

Whilst he appeared ill at ease, the elf seemed in no hurry to ask him to leave - though that could be a result of the scrupulous good manners that he claimed to have momentarily forgotten. Somehow, Avalon doubted that someone so polite could so freely forget one of life's most fundamental necessities. It therefore had to be exactly what it felt like. He could see that the elf was shy, but felt no desire from him to be left alone. His apparent discomfort with interacting with new people must have been holding him back from conversing more confidently with someone he clearly wanted to talk to.

Two hours passed before either the paladin or the elf noticed. Avalon's quandary had faded with the now late afternoon sunlight and Palladium had found an answer to the question he had posed to himself the day before. All that was left to be done was regaining the confidence that he had fought hard to give himself before.


	2. Chapter 2

The end of term had arrived and Avalon had settled in well. Despite Faragonda's concerns that he would suffer from the mental trauma of being held captive for so long, he had few problems. He usually recovered from stressful events quickly and this was no exception. Remembering his way round the school also took him little time, as the evening he spent locking up the school with Palladium had been embedded into his memory. The small details that had been pointed out to him, such as the chips in the ceiling cornice from a skirmish many years ago, or the position of a tree from the view of a certain window, had become landmarks to him until he had learnt the routes between individual classrooms. For times when he couldn't pick out his guides all he needed to do was to ask someone for directions. All of the students and staff were willing to point him in the right direction, and some offered to accompany him until he knew where he was. The only noticeable concern he still had was Palladium. They had spoken to each other after that evening, but he was disappointed to be no closer to befriending him. The elf had seemed distant and their conversations had none of the depth of the first - it felt like he was only being humoured. There were times when Avalon could hardly get a word from him and he learnt that at these times it was usually better to leave him be.

Though he felt that he was by now used to his new teaching environment, he had agreed when he left the medical wing to meet Faragonda the following Friday to discuss whether he felt able to return to teach the next term. Admittedly, he hadn't been sleeping well and there were still moments when he was alone in which he felt as though he was being watched, but these passed quickly. It helped to carry with him a small stealth knife that he liked to use in situations where his usual was too conspicuous - he knew that no-one on site was supposed to be carrying any form of weaponry but he felt that, given the situation, it was understandable. That didn't mean that he was going to tell anyone about it, and he considered leaving it in his room before he went to find the headmistress in her office. He decided that it was probably the right choice and regretfully unbuckled the harness and sheath that he had worn under his shirt. Neatening himself up again he left his room and headed to the office, concluding that even without her finding out, carrying a weapon into her office would imply a lack of trust and make it seem that he hadn't recovered emotionally.

By the time he reached the office Avalon was glad that he'd left the knife in his room, as he felt certain that even under his shirt the harness wouldn't have escaped the headmistress' scrutiny. The office door was half open, as it usually was when she wasn't busy, so he knocked and went into the spacious office. Faragonda was sitting at her desk writing something with a small, posted fountain pen. As he walked in she said,  
"So, Avalon. How has your first week of teaching gone?"  
"It has been a little surreal, actually. It's more like I've woken up with amnesia as my notes are all in order, and my lesson plans followed almost to the letter."  
She looked at him thoughtfully.  
"Well, the impostor certainly did its job as the students have still been learning in your absence. How have you felt?"  
"I've felt quite comfortable. The students have been very forgiving about my situation, and the other members of staff are making sure I know what I'm doing and when."  
This seemed to satisfy her, as she recapped and put down the pen she was holding - fine gold nibbed, red and brown marbled in such a way that it looked like wood, and of a make that he couldn't identify, much to his annoyance.  
"That's just as I'd hoped. I've spoken to the nurse and she tells me you've not had any issues with your health, and you've been eating and sleeping as normal - is this still the case?"  
"Yes, I've been well."  
"Good. I take it then, that you're quite happy to come back next term?"  
"Of course! That was the original plan, and so I'm staying with it."  
She smiled at his enthusiasm.  
"You'll also be wanting to continue making friends with Palladium, I'm sure."  
She said this with a tone of amusement, which threw him a little - was there was anything particularly unusual about his trying to be friendly?  
"Well, I'd like to..."  
His confusion must have shown in more than his voice as Faragonda elaborated,  
"Your efforts to talk to him haven't gone unnoticed, Avalon. He's quite shy, so you might have found him unwilling to talk. It doesn't mean that he won't; especially if you carry on making those efforts."  
Uncomfortable, he shifted in his chair. He hadn't thought that he'd done anything out of the ordinary.  
"Does he not interact with other members of staff?"  
"When he feels sociable, yes. Most of the time we leave him to his own devices."  
"Have I done the wrong thing?"  
"I don't think so."  
"...I'm sure you have a lot to get on with, so if there's nothing else you'd like to mention I'll leave you to carry on."  
"No, I've said everything I wanted to. I'm just glad you're able to stay."  
He stood up and left the office, still wondering from which maker that small pen came. He could have asked her, but he felt like that would be giving up. After his many years spent researching and collecting pens from the various worlds he'd visited, finding something he couldn't identify was quite frustrating.

Turning his mind from these disheartening thoughts he made his way to the staff room, thinking about what Faragonda had said about Palladium. He could see why the elf had been reluctant to talk, being unused to others paying him much attention. What the headmistress had said about carrying on trying to talk to him, however, he was less certain about. To deliberately talk to someone when they were not comfortable with it seemed to be an unfair route to take, even if it would faster accustom that person to everyday conversation. But then there was the other side of the argument. Just because the elf struggled to talk to him, it didn't necessarily follow that he didn't want to talk at all. In fact, there had been moments when Avalon was certain the elf would have said more if he had allowed himself to do so. The question was, therefore, not one of talking to him any more or less; rather, he had to work out how to put him at ease.

Once he arrived at the staff room, Avalon was pleased to see Palladium sitting at a small table in the corner of the room. He could see that the elf looked to be in a brighter mood than usual and didn't seem to have much to do, so he went and joined him. As promising as the opportunity had looked, however, the outcome was exactly the same as usual. He sat, the elf hid his discomfort neatly behind his manners, they made small talk - once again, Avalon could see him holding back - and then the elf left. The disappointment he felt was noticed by the leprechaun on the sofa nearby. For all that he looked absorbed in the textbook he was annotating, Wizgiz had been paying close attention to the almost one sided conversation next to him.  
"Are you all right?"  
Avalon was surprised by his asking, but replied in turn,  
"Oh, I'm fine. ...I just wonder whether or not he actually likes talking to me. He seems nice enough, but he's very quiet and doesn't stay around very long."  
"He likes talking to you. He's just trying hard not to be intrusive. He's also a little shy, but I'm assuming you already knew that."  
This did nothing to allay his doubts.  
"I knew he was shy. Why does he think he'd be intrusive by interacting more?"  
"I don't really know. Maybe you should talk to him about it."  
"I couldn't do that! He'd be mortified!"  
"I suppose I could talk to him. I'll be subtle."  
For some reason, the idea of this worried him more than anything else.  
"Are you sure?"  
"Do you want to be able to talk to him or not?"  
"I do, but I don't want to put him off. It's a little... Childish..."  
"Don't worry yourself about it, Avalon. He's so quiet that it usually takes time for people to get to know him."  
And with that, he got up and followed the elf out of the room.

Ending up in the situation of having nothing urgent to do seemed to have become a habit that Avalon had developed, and he was growing more and more determined to break it. To take his mind off the combined concerns of Palladium and the conversation that Wizgiz was likely to be having with him, he got his lesson planner out of his bag and thought ahead to next term. Alongside his planner, he also got out the prussian blue, embossed leather pen sleeve that he kept safe in a pocket at the back of the bag. He had been pleased to find it in his office when looking through his work, as he knew that the impostor would have brought it. The pen inside had been a gift, tailor made for him by a friend, and he used it more than any other pen. It had a 1 mm italic nib and a white marbled barrel, with prussian blue bands above the grip and at the end the pen. His friend had made it for him as a congratulatory gift after his status as a paladin became official and he saw it as one of his most valuable possessions.

Whilst Avalon was busying himself with his lesson planner, Wizgiz had gone to find Palladium. The elf had hidden himself at the back of the potions laboratory and was reorganising the already organised shelves of ingredients, in the hope that anyone who came looking for him would only give the room a cursory glance and not spot him. What he had not planned for was being sought after by someone who knew where to look. When he heard the light, skipping footsteps at the end of the corridor he knew he need not have bothered hiding at all. Moments later, Wizgiz had arrived in the room and was hopping up onto a desk at the back.  
"Palladium."  
"I know what you're here to talk about."  
"Do you now?"  
"I know you were listening to our conversation."  
Wizgiz raised his eyebrows, apparently surprised by his perceptiveness, and cut straight to the crux of the matter.  
"Then would you explain to me why when the handsome new teacher makes an obvious effort to be nice to you, you're not giving him the time of day? I know you're trying but really, I didn't think you were as bad as this."  
"I need time. I cannot rush myself."  
"What sort of excuse is that?"  
"It's not an excuse!" He closed his eyes for a moment to calm himself after his outburst and continued, "I just need to gauge the situation."  
"'Gauge the situation'? What's to be gauged? You've coped fine during the rest of the term - in fact, you've done better than you think you have. What's your problem here?"  
"...I'm not sure."  
At this point, Wizgiz realised he'd been a little aggressive in his questioning, as he could see that Palladium was genuinely troubled. He softened his tone and said,  
"He cares about this, you know. I think he'll be rather disappointed if he feels that you're not interested."  
"What do you mean? What are you implying?"  
"I'm implying that the obviously interested paladin is feeling rather rejected before he's started making advances."  
"So... You mean that..."  
"Oh, Palladium. I don't have to spell it out for you, do I?"  
The elf's face reddened as he understood the meaning of these unsubtle hints and he turned away in embarrassment. He made a show of neatening the equipment on a nearby shelf, but it only served to make his self-consciousness more obvious. Satisfied that the message had sunk in, Wizgiz left Palladium to regain his composure. He hadn't intended to to be quite so abrupt; there was nothing more he could say on the matter that would be of any comfort so he felt it would be best if he returned to the staff room and left his colleague in peace.

When he reached the staff room he found Avalon sitting where he'd left him. The paladin looked up as he approached and asked,  
"Did you speak to him?"  
"No. I went to the bathroom."  
"Oh."  
He looked down and fidgeted with his pen.  
"I'm teasing you, Avalon. Of course I spoke to him."  
"What did you say?"  
"What I said is between him and myself. Rest assured though that I made things clear to him."  
"What things? Do you think we've made it worse?"  
"Not at all. I think you need to relax and stop worrying about this - I do know how to talk to him. And stop asking questions - if you want to see the result of the conversation I'd advise going to see him yourself."  
This eased his concern a little, but he couldn't help but ask one more question.  
"Does he know that you spoke to me before him?"  
"I didn't tell him, but he knew I was listening to your conversation and so he might have put two and two together. Though on the other hand he might not, and he might just think I'm doing my usual 'getting-involved-in-other-people's-business'."  
"I can't imagine why he'd think that..."  
By this point, the leprechaun had fished out of his bag a rather blunt pencil and a tired looking diary. More tired than it should have been after only one term of use, but he wasn't known for being particularly careful with his possessions. Avalon winced internally at the sight of the blunt pencil, but said nothing. He carried on with his planning, as he knew there would be no question he could ask that would get him any more information.

Once Wizgiz had left the laboratory Palladium stopped his reorganising. There seemed to be little point in carrying on as he usually kept everything in order anyway. It had felt like a good excuse to leave the staff room, and that was all he really needed. He could only cope with socialising with others for so long and talking to Avalon had finished him off. Though... It was quite reassuring to feel that there was someone who wanted to talk to him regularly. Even if he did not want to interact, the thought that someone was making the effort was comforting. Then he remembered what had been brought up only minutes ago - to others his appreciation was imperceptible and he was at risk of alienating someone who was taking an interest in him. With this realisation came an odd feeling of loss, as though he had all ready missed his opportunity. Before his mind could attenuate his self-enforced state of positivity further he decided to take his satchel up to his room, gather a few necessities and spend the rest of the afternoon out in the forest.

As lessons had finished at break, and class 'admin' at lunch - after a certain point it always felt more like a class debate over why report slips had to be signed and returned and medical forms checked - there was more time left in the afternoon than usual. Palladium relished the thought of being able to spend longer in the forest and clear his mind of the emotional detritus that had accumulated there during the day. He left his satchel by the desk in his room and found the small shoulder bag he took with him when herb gathering. He took out most of the small vials and test tubes he usually carried, as well as various other small tools only he had a use for, and replaced these with his wallet, a scrying mirror and a small flask of fruit flavoured water. Though he was not likely to use it he felt it was better to have his wallet than not, especially if he ended up in the town during his wandering and wanted something to eat. As he readjusted his jacket and put his bag over his shoulder, however, a new thought occurred to him. Perhaps he should see if Avalon would want to come with him - he had expressed an interest in the forest, and it would reassure the paladin that his offers of friendship were not being declined. Yes; that seemed to be a good idea.

Eventually tired of his lesson planning in the staff room, Avalon had been putting away his notes and planner when Palladium returned. He hadn't expected the elf to come back any time soon after his uncomfortable departure earlier, but realised that he wasn't carrying his usual work satchel. As he approached, Avalon asked,  
"Are you going out?"  
"I am. I was wondering if you had anything planned this afternoon, or anything in general to attend to."  
"Why do you ask?"  
"I fancied spending a little time in the forest to clear my mind and was wondering if you would want to come with me. I remember you mentioning going hiking at some point, but I don't believe you'll be doing that until you've regained the stamina you must have lost recently."  
Avalon's heart leapt. Once again, he had been saved from the threat of impending boredom and as a bonus, had been offered the opportunity to find out more about his introverted colleague. He was also glad that Palladium had considered his reduced stamina - as much as he hated to admit it to himself, he still wasn't back to full health.  
"We won't be out for too long then?"  
"Only as long as you are able. I take it that you're interested, then?"  
"Of course!"  
The elf's face lit up and for the first time, Avalon could see exactly what was on his mind. There was relief in his smile, not only from the acceptance of the offer, but from finally accepting Avalon's friendship. The tension left between them from a week of constrained conversation melted with the warmth of the elf's happiness.  
"I thought it would be an agreeable way to spend an afternoon, but company will definitely improve it further."  
"If you could give me a few minutes to fetch some things from my room I could meet you in the main office to sign out for the afternoon."  
"You might want to wear something warmer than your blazer, too. It's getting colder outside."  
They left the room whilst agreeing on how long they'd be out and when they'd head back. Sitting nearby in his usual place on the sofa Wizgiz allowed himself a moment of pride. Another week of putting up with those two struggling to talk to each other would probably have been too much to bear.

* * *

Author's notes:

-*Says story is mostly about Palladium; spends more time writing about Avalon* - I know, I know. I just couldn't bear to write a chapter filled with little more than angst and insecurity. I also feel that Avalon never gets quite as much attention, and as this story really does focus more on Palladium I'm over-compensating a little in the 'prologue' chapters.

-What's the deal with the pen descriptions? Though Avalon is a battle ready paladin I like to think he'd have some sort of hobby that didn't involve combat. He teaches magical philosophy, so he must have some academic interests. I felt that he'd be a 'pen is mightier than the sword' sort of paladin. Literally.

-I have been reliably informed that the grip on a pen - possibly fountain pens in particular - is called a section. I'm still calling it a grip because it is, technically, the bit you grip, and it's a more user friendly term.


	3. Chapter 3

Author's Notes:

-Ah, yes. The introduction of OCs and other worlds. The characters and other worlds in this that aren't from Winx are mine, and I'd appreciate it if they weren't stolen by others...

-Some parts of this have been kept purposely vague so other people can fit their ideas with mine. I feel that there's more freedom for the reader that way, especially in non-canon areas.

-As mentioned before, kudos if you recognise the other language I've used in this! (It's not mine, but I'm borrowing it because I love it!)

* * *

***Wed***

The night was dark, or rather, darker than a night with no moon usually was. Visibility was poor - even for elves of _. There was a sense of stillness too, as though the unusual darkness was holding the forest tightly enough to stop the nocturnal movements of its wildlife. Even those of the forest who relished the quiet of night had retreated to the safety of their homes. That night was not one to be spent outdoors. Were anyone to have ventured outside however, they may have noticed that the lack of light was no natural phenomenon. There was movement in the shadows - perhaps the movement was the shadows; their constant writhing was too rushed and chaotic to properly fit with the serenity of the forest. Somewhere, something had slipped between worlds and its presence would not pass without touching those upon whom it could inflict the most misery.

Elsewhere in the dark a small lantern flickered, creating a soft glowing light that could have been swallowed by the shadows entirely had it not been so carefully maintained. It was perched on a rock at the edge of a small cliff; its dim glow casting barely enough light for its owner to scour the bank of the nearby stream for the small wildflowers he knew to be there. He had been mildly concerned when he left home, noticing how cold and dull the usually vibrant light of the lantern had been, but hadn't thought any more about it. He had been too eager to reach the stream before the moon was no longer in the exact alignment that gave these flowers their unique properties. Once he had found what he was looking for, he brought out a small glass jar from his bag and a sickle from the sheath on his belt. As he did this, he noticed again that the light was growing fainter and turned to adjust the crystal that kept the lantern lit. Satisfied that he could see well enough to complete his task, he turned back to the stream. The delicately engraved blade of the sickle glinted in the weak light of the lantern as he held the blade poised to cut.

Before he did so, he stopped. It could have been the flickering of his lantern; the shadows creating the movement he saw out of the corner of his eye seemed almost natural. Something about the thickening blackness around him, however, gave him cause to doubt. He held still, head down and listening for anything more than the sound of the stream flowing over the edge of the cliff into the pool below. Slowly, he brought his head up and made the cut he had prepared for, looking as though he had seen nothing but in reality tensed to turn and defend himself against whatever lurked in the dark. Putting the flower into his jar, he moved to cut another. Again, movement. He carried on, aware that his situation was becoming rapidly more serious, but at the same time not wanting to stop. Not only would he have no other opportunity to find flowers like these for a long while, but a part of him instinctively knew that to stop would show he suspected something to be wrong. If there was something watching him, he would prefer not to provoke it.

Unfortunately, the creature needed no provocation. Once it had found its victim there was little to be done. It would choose its moment to make its move and there could be no defence. As the apparently unwitting elf cut the last flower that would fit his container, stashed it away and sheathed his sickle, it was time. The shadows converged around him and he turned to face them. It was impressed with the speed and confidence of his reaction, but knew that as the lantern faded, so would the elf's resistance. Not that there was much resisting to be done. As the shadows seethed around him like sentient smoke, the sickle blade he had drawn cut through them uselessly. His other defence was to run, but with little to no light and a mist of shadow around him this could only lead him into more trouble. The light, already barely visible, finally went out.

Early the next morning, the atmosphere of the previous night had vanished. The stream sparkled in the morning sunlight and the long grass rippled in the slight breeze. The soft, rushing noise of the water alongside the morning birdsong were the first sounds Palladium became aware of. He then began to notice the cold. Living in a mountainous area of decently high altitude gave one a certain level of tolerance towards the cold, especially during colder seasons, but it did not prepare one for waking up drenched with dew on the edge of a cliff. He had dressed warmly for his outing but as the only waterproof item of clothing he wore was a cloak, which had somehow ended up on top of him, the morning's dampness felt like it had seeped through to his bones. Shivering, he sat up and looked around. His lantern was where he had left it, and he realised that his right hand was still holding his sickle. It looked undamaged by its night outside, but then he spotted the tiny hairline cracks running along the blade like so many spider webs. There seemed to be something ...oozing... from in between the cracks. The substance looked like some sort of oil, but it was dry to the touch and running his fingers along the metal, he could feel no imperfections. When he sheathed it, it still fit perfectly. He checked his bag for damage and when he found everything as it should be, he stood up. Almost immediately he felt drained, as though he had been awake and busy all night. This weakness was foreign to him and he could not think why he would feel that way. He had perfect recollection of the events of the previous night and the shadowy creature that had attacked him, but as he had no idea what it was he could not begin to think about the effects it could have had on him. He could only hope that this physical fatigue would wear off quickly.

He made his way home, stopping here and there when he felt his energy waver. By the time he arrived he was about ready to go straight to bed, but was stopped by his friend and housemate on the way upstairs. It was no unusual occurrence for one or both of them to return home in the morning after separate night time excursions, but it was less usual for one of them to return in such an exhausted state. It was only natural, therefore, that a question was asked that he knew he should have expected.  
"Palladium, are you unwell?"  
He sighed, turned round and returned downstairs, his grip on the banister tighter than usual as he was beginning to feel his sense of balance abandoning him. Selwyn was standing by the foot of the narrow helical staircase that led to Palladium's room, fidgeting with the clasp of his cloak.  
"I'm just tired. I had ...an interesting night."  
"'An interesting night'? How so, if it makes you seem so tired?"  
Palladium hesitated. He knew that his tale would be believable, as there were dangerous creatures in the forest - many yet to be fully understood - but he somehow felt self-conscious about the whole affair. He couldn't lie to his friend; they had known each other too long for that. He hardly felt comfortable with the truth though, so he was unsure of how to respond. His silence had by now made his answer for him. Pushing his windswept, sandy coloured hair behind his ears, Selwyn gave up waiting for an answer.  
"I apologise, fricai. I should know better than to press you for an answer when you are not in a state to give me one. If you decide that you will talk to me about this I am always ready to listen."  
"When I have something coherent to express I may be able to answer you."  
With that, he turned and rather tiredly climbed the stairs, now feeling as though he could sleep as well there as anywhere else.

Selwyn watched his friend ascend the stairs. Palladium had none of his usual lightness of foot and seemed more ill than tired. He had known him to be tired before, but not to this extent. He heard the door close at the top, footsteps towards the bed and then nothing. It was concerning enough that the people he had spoken to that morning had all mentioned the unnatural darkness and oppressive atmosphere the night before, but his friend having spent the night outside and returning in an odd state was too much. If this matter did not resolve itself by the evening he would take his friend to the Healery and hope that the healers there could convince Palladium to talk. It might have seemed to be a rather drastic solution but he knew from experience that his friend didn't like to talk about his problems, and the longer he kept quiet the worse things became. If there was going to be a problem he would much prefer to have it known about from the beginning. It was not so much that the exhaustion bothered him; it was that the unwillingness to answer frustrated him. After all this time there was little they could not share with each other, yet still Palladium had trouble opening up - even to his closest friend. There was something else that was not as it should be, too. Not that he could describe it, say what it was, or explain why it was abnormal. It was simply off-putting.

Later that day the weather had worsened. The slight breeze had become a gale and the sun had disappeared entirely behind an unending blanket of grey. Waking up for the second time that day, Palladium's mind was clouded and his thoughts were indistinct. Restful sleep usually had that effect on him. When he could finally pull his thoughts together he became aware of footsteps coming up the stairs towards his door. As it opened slightly he shifted to a more comfortable position on his bed - he had hardly moved since collapsing onto it that morning. Looking up, he could see Selwyn examining him from the doorway and upon noticing that Palladium was awake, he came in. At about the same time, Palladium had started to notice an unusual sensation of coldness in his right hand. He curled the hand into a fist and tensed it, watching from the corner of his eye as his friend's expression grew more concerned than it had already been. Without warning, he felt pain shoot through his hand as though he had driven something sharp into it. He winced. There seemed to be nothing wrong with it, but the pain was there. Selwyn, standing by the bed, had waited patiently all day to talk with him and now took the opportunity to do so.  
"Will you talk now?"  
"I wanted to talk earlier. I just couldn't find the words to do so when I was so tired. So unusually tired..."  
"Do you feel any better? More well-rested?"  
"I believe so."  
"What of your hand? Are you injured?"  
"I'm not sure."  
By now, he could feel a dull ache in his hand toward his wrist, like an echo of the pain he had just felt. The coldness was still there, too. He sat up, held his hands out and asked,  
"Does my right feel different - colder than my left?"  
Selwyn sat next to him on the bed and with a growing sense of uneasiness took Palladium's hands in his. The right hand did, in fact, feel cooler. It looked more pale, too.  
"It does. ...I know you won't want to hear this, but I believe you should visit the Healery."  
"I'm fine, Selwyn. I must have just strained it, or landed on it..."  
He trailed off, well aware that his weak defence was going to be picked apart. Sure enough, Selwyn did not like his argument.  
"Injuries such as those you mentioned would cause light inflammation. Heat, Palladium, not cold. Are you sure you feel well?"  
"I feel fine; I will not visit the Healery without due cause. I'll be returning to Alfea in a few days anyway so I can always mention this to the nurse if it gets worse."  
"...You've convinced me for now, I suppose."  
"You don't look very convinced."  
"There's just something else that I cannot explain. Something different. I'm just not happy with this."  
"I will look after myself. Trust me."  
"I'd like to, but you seem to have the idea that looking after yourself is unimportant."  
"What more can I say?"  
"Nothing. If I see anything more unusual I will take you to the Healery myself, but until then you will be making sure that you keep yourself in good health."  
This was said with such resolution that Palladium did not doubt that he would follow through with his claim. He stood up and went over to the table on which he kept his hairbrush and adjusted the mirror that sat on a stand in the centre, hoping that Selwyn would take the obvious hint and leave him to neaten himself up. He did. Not all of their compromises ended with discord but it was clear that this one had.

In the days following, during his preparations for the next term, Palladium had not improved. He was careful to make sure that the tiredness he felt and the now constant ache in his right hand were not noticed by Selwyn, but to do that he had to spend most of his time alone. Had they not had plans involving social events or friends to visit, his sudden preference for staying indoors would have remained unnoticed. He made the excuse that he had 'things to prepare' and 'work to finish', though he was unsure as to how long that would keep Selwyn pacified. Two nights before he was due to leave, even though he felt completely drained, he found himself awake. The pain in his hand had spread up to his elbow and every now and then he would feel his shoulder twinge in sympathy. When he moved, his arm felt as though bolts of energy were being put through it. This would become very difficult to hide if he did not do something about it. The first solution he came up with was to formulate some sort of potion with which he could reduce the pain to a more tolerable level. To do this he needed to cross the room to reach the workbench where his equipment was set up. The first problem he encountered was getting up. When he sat up he knew almost immediately that his sense of balance had left him again; it seemed to be happening whenever he became tired, which was often. Very slowly, he eased himself into standing up and made his way over to the workbench. Moving any faster would probably have resulted in him falling over and waking Selwyn, and that was something he wanted to avoid. The conversation that would follow would undoubtedly end in him being dragged to the Healery. His aversion to the Healery was not due to those who worked there or the place it was situated, but more due to his recently developed dislike of showing weakness. He had found that eliminating signs of weakness gave others less reason to doubt or underestimate him.

Eventually, he reached the workbench and sat on the stool in front. The grey moonlight that crept into the room past the half drawn curtains provided insufficient light for him to create anything with accuracy, so he gestured towards the light on the bench and directed his magical energy towards turning it on. He hissed in pain as he realised too late that he could not use his right arm for such trivial tasks, and used his left to reach over and turn it on manually. Potion brewing became harder with only one good arm to use, but his experience and confidence balanced it out. By the time he was finished, he had created an elixir with properties of pain relief and calming. It was commonly used throughout _ and taken in a variety of ways; Palladium's advantage in this situation was that he could adapt it to suit his needs. He had increased its potency and reduced it into a form that could be used however he wanted, instead of something with a set usage method. There was also enough of it to last him a whole term, if necessary. If necessary... That thought stuck in his mind. He had felt as well as he usually did over the past few days, without considering the constant ache in his bones. True, the fatigue was abnormal, but that could be dealt with. The main concern he had was the aching. He could put up with it as long as it did not affect how he did his job, but it would be problematic if it started to do so. The elixir he had brewed should stave off the worst of it so unless any other issues developed, he was set to return with no problems.

Though he would have preferred to take it as a vapour he could not actually remember where he had left his pipe, and in the absence of anything he could put it in to drink he took a sip straight from the bottle. It had the consistency of oil and tasted mildly of herbs, as that was what he had used to make it, but it had a rather sweet aftertaste that was unpleasant even if it had been drunk mixed into something else. He resealed the bottle and hid it amongst the rest of his equipment so it would not catch the eye of his perceptive friend. Selwyn may not have his knowledge or experience in potion making, but he always seemed to recognise anything new or different. That again would lead to a conversation that Palladium would prefer to avoid. He turned off the light and quietly stood up, compensating for his lack of balance by leaning heavily on the bench. Another half hour, or maybe twenty minutes, and the aching would stop until morning. He felt no better once he was back in bed but was comforted by the thought that he would when he woke up. As he felt his mind wander back into unconsciousness he mumbled to himself,

"Slytha... Slytha un stydja... I'll feel better..."

* * *

Author's Notes:

-Fricai - friend

-Slytha un stydja - sleep and rest (both verbs)


	4. Chapter 4

Author's Notes:

-Does that town have a name? The one they go to every now and then to shop and stuff... I don't know! I'm not sure I care much either! Dammit, Jim; I'm the author here, not a- ...yeah. But really, is it called Magix, or is the dimension called Magix, or am I going to lose sleep until I look it up?

-Regardless of what the town is called, it's also going to be slightly different. Creative liberty again! Also it's because I don't know much about the town anyway!

-As before, Selwyn is my character.

* * *

The last days of his holiday had passed. Palladium made his way through town feeling decidedly worse than when he had left for the holidays. He had kept quiet about it so it would not give Selwyn cause to worry, but he had a sinking feeling that it might come to affect his teaching after all. He had come prepared with his elixir, found his pipe and was now hoping that he could keep his problems to himself around those who were more likely to pry into them. He met one such person whilst walking through the square. Griselda was sitting on the edge of the fountain drinking something she had bought from a nearby cafe; she had presumably arrived a day or so before him and therefore had little to do on a cold but sunny Thursday morning than wait for the new term to start. When she saw him she stood up and went over, falling into pace beside him.  
"Did you have a good holiday, Palladium? Any friends dragging you to places you didn't want to go?"  
"None of that, luckily. You?"  
"Everything was very quiet as everyone else was busy, away or working."  
Her eyes flicked down towards his arm, which he was holding stiffly against his side. He was carrying everything on his left and as she knew him to be a right-handed person, it looked rather unusual. He shifted his arm slightly and said,  
"I see you've noticed my ...injury, of sorts."  
"What happened?"  
"I can't really say. It was... A unique occurrence."  
"Have you had it seen to?"  
It seemed that no one thought he was responsible enough to take care of his injuries by himself.  
"I haven't needed to."  
"So it's not that bad?"  
"I don't believe so."  
Griselda knew that once his answers became closed off, it was a good time to change the subject. She brought up the topic of gardening to see if it would lighten the mood, and it did. Not entirely, but it was better than walking back to Alfea in silence. Palladium seemed subdued for some reason and she assumed that something had happened at home during the holidays. Something involving that injury he seemed so tetchy about. It would explain why he was so unwilling to talk.

As they walked the main path through the forest, Griselda kept a close watch on Palladium. He looked normal enough, even with his arm injured. It was only when they arrived at the school that she noticed any real difference in his behaviour. He was usually keen to find out if there was anything he had missed and what he could do in preparation for the new term, but now he seemed reluctant to mention anything work related at all. Perhaps he was worried about how he would keep his injury concealed. Though he had shown more self-confidence lately he could easily have slipped into the mindset of believing that showing weakness could lose him the respect of his colleagues and students.

The short flight of stairs that led to the male teachers' corridor had never felt so tiring to climb. He had not realised how stiff he was in his right side but it became very obvious that he was virtually pulling himself up the steps. His arm throbbed as he moved and he reflexively shifted his shoulder to relieve it. As he had many times over the past few days he felt pain shooting through him, from his fingertips to his neck. He flinched, pausing on the stairs and leaning on the banister for support. And then he froze. Out of the corner of his eye he saw movement. Shadows. As though it were the middle of the night and the blackness that had stalked him in the forest had followed him to Alfea. He felt himself grow unsteady as his heart rate increased, remembering his previous encounter with this phenomenal creature. He could hear nothing of the rest of the school; only a noise that sounded akin to wheezing or rasping as the shadows pulsated. Though he had his back turned he felt certain that a fine tendril of smoky black had been extended from the darkness and was reaching out for him. To touch him. Perhaps it would slip itself through his hair and round his neck, or just stab straight into his back. He could not see it, but had the distinct feeling that it was there. After a few moments of standing there, watching and waiting anxiously, he became aware that he had been standing motionless on the stairs for almost a full minute. Then he felt something twitch behind his head. He whipped round to face it and like the smoke of a snuffed out candle, the shadows melted away until the corridor was once again flooded with light. The rapidity of this change was enough to make him doubt that he had seen anything at all.

He stood there for a moment, steadying himself and willing his heart rate to slow to a more reasonable pace, but it spiked as he heard footsteps in the corridor ahead. Unwilling to be caught frozen in fear on the stairs, he dragged himself to the top. He was met there by Wizgiz, who seemed more energetic than usual - if such a thing was possible. The sudden irrational fear he had felt left him feeling uncomfortable as it drifted away, but it was soon replaced with mild irritation at his colleague's good mood.  
"How much caffeine have you had today, Wizgiz?"  
"Not that much. I've just come back from a high energy environment so I just need to get used to the normality. And I may have been in a high energy environment, but I can tell when my friends are quieter than usual." There was little he could say in response to that.  
"What's the matter with you, friend?"  
"I'm fine."  
Wizgiz, as expected, did not seem satisfied with that response.  
"You don't seem very happy."  
"I'm fine!"  
His insistence on the matter was enough that a change of subject seemed to be the best course of action.  
"So did you do anything interesting during your time at home?"  
"Not really."  
It was at this point that Wizgiz noticed the way in which Palladium was standing. He had his satchel on his left shoulder, his trunk in his left hand and his sword was tied up and tucked into his belt, as Faragonda did not like weapons to be worn ready for use in school. He seemed to be keeping all of his weight off his right side.  
"No training injuries?"  
Here, Palladium tensed visibly and his response was as stiff.  
"Not quite."  
"Well, whatever it is I'm sure you'll be right as rain soon."  
He knew when his questions were being evaded, and decided to take the easy route out. He started down the stairs and called over his shoulder,  
"I'm headed to the staffroom, and if you want to find me after you've unpacked I'll probably still be there."  
He received no response. Palladium had already stalked off towards his room.

Once in his room the last thing he felt like doing was unpacking. He put his sword away safely and put his satchel by his desk, where he then sat down. As he returned the contents of his satchel to their proper places on the desk he noticed a fine layer of dust that had settled there in his absence and muttered a charm to clear it. He would turn a blind eye towards the dust that had settled throughout the rest of the room for now. Next he examined the plants growing across the ceiling. They needed little care other than watering when their soil dried out and a small dose of supplementary minerals that he formulated himself to compensate for not growing them in their natural environment. Momentarily forgetting the injury he had been intensely aware of up to that point, he reached up with his right arm to pluck off a dead leaf that was glaringly obvious from where he stood. He could feel his joints complain at the exertion and sighed, bringing his arm down carefully. The pain that had been a dull throb was swelling to a sharp ache, and he remembered the mistake he had made during the holiday. Small tasks, no matter how trivial, had to be considered carefully before attempting to perform them right-handed. He reached up again, this time with his left arm, and removed the offending leaf. To his relief, he felt no surge of pain. Whatever was causing this had not spread further than his shoulder. Though it was such a small matter it gave him cause for serious alarm, as restricted mobility could well have an impact on his teaching. Admittedly, the impact would not be one that he could not live with, but after he had worked so hard to seem more confident any hint of fragility would shatter the illusion. More to the point, he should not have felt much pain at all, as he clearly remembered taking his elixir that morning to combat any trouble the injury would give him whilst transitioning between places. He would have to increase his dosage.

Eventually, he turned his mind from these troubling thoughts and made a start on unpacking. Not that there was a lot to unpack, but he felt unusually tired and was glad that he had organised his work while he still had the energy. Looking at the time he realised that it was lunch time. He stopped halfway through hanging up a coat that he had bought a long time ago on his travels and idly examined the cuff of one of the sleeves, deliberating between going downstairs to eat and staying upstairs to conserve strength, and eventually decided that he would have to face the rest of the school at some point anyway and that he would rather it be on his terms. He hung the coat up and began to think of ways he would explain away his apparently obvious injury. Above the coat, on a shelf, he put his travelling cloak. The two had seen him through all types of weather and situation, and merely having them in his room made him feel more prepared for anything. The obvious explanation he could give was that he had managed to damage his dominant arm whilst training, as Wizgiz had thought. This would not account for anything else though. His exhaustion, for that was what it seemed to be turning into, could not be explained. He wanted the explanation to be believable without setting himself up to seem compromised, but he struggled to think of anything that fit that criteria. On the way downstairs he realised that he was under no obligation to explain it in the first place, and that whatever had happened to him in his time was his business.

When one was tired, Palladium decided, interaction in large groups became very unfavourable. Lunch was fine for the most part, but when the questions about holidays were directed towards him his vague and elusive answers attracted more questions from someone he really would have preferred not to be questioned by. As he left the dining hall, Faragonda stood and followed him out. He waited in the corridor, resigned to the fact that this conversation would be unavoidable.  
"Is there something bothering you, Palladium?"  
There it was.  
"Nothing at all."  
"Has something happened while you were away?"  
"No."  
"...You seem a little different."  
"How so?"  
"...Just different. Have you had that looked at?"  
She gestured at his arm, and he knew that his business was rapidly becoming hers.  
"I have seen no need to do so."  
The coldness of his reply confirmed for her that there was definitely something wrong. Palladium could see that she had come to that conclusion as her expression of curiosity shifted to one of concern. In an attempt to salvage the situation he continued on,  
"It hurts, but I can cope with it. I... I do not understand quite what caused it, but I am certain that it is manageable."  
He hoped that by explaining the situation to her it would reduce her already mounting concern. She seemed to be considering his response carefully, and he reminded himself of her reputation as an 'all-knowing' sort of headmistress. Faragonda was the sort who could tell just by looking what sort of problem she was facing, and if she decided that what he had claimed did not match what she saw there would be no hiding his problems.  
"Keep me informed."  
Then it was too late. At least it was only Faragonda that he would have keeping an eye on him.

The next day saw the arrival of Avalon, who turned up slightly later than expected due to Paladion business overrunning - a common occurrence, according to him. He seemed to be much brighter than he had been at the end of the previous term, and less skittish. There were still hints of distrust in his expression when he thought that no-one could see and there were still moments when he felt uncomfortable in his environment, though he would never have admitted it. For Palladium, the arrival of his new friend brought as much stress as relief. He would have a distraction from whatever his injury was turning into, not only for himself but for everyone else. If he spent time around Avalon people would not look too closely at him, and he could avoid thinking about it himself. The stress was nothing to do with the awkward revelation he had received last term, courtesy of Wizgiz, but was instead to do with how he would explain his problem to someone who was bound to notice and take an interest, and potentially think less of him for it. Fortunately, Palladium's concerns had been unfounded as Avalon had been discrete in his questioning and his unobtrusive attitude had allowed for the whole matter to be explained with little discomfort.

One small detail Palladium had decided not to mention was the elixir he had made for himself. He felt that explaining the situation had been enough and that anything else was just more for his friend to worry about. On top of that, he knew that Avalon would disapprove of taking anything so strong without the approval of a medical professional.


	5. Chapter 5

Author's Notes:  
-Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No - it's another chapter! Finishing off my education really did distract me. As well as forgetting that I hadn't actually uploaded this chapter…  
***Fri Night***  
The night was a cold one. As a hooded figure made its way through the deserted streets of Magix, one dressed similarly slipped out of Alfea. Both were dressed for the cold, but only one was used to it. The figure in town pulled its hood back a little as if searching for something. The one wandering through the forest pulled its hood closer to ward itself from the slow dripping of rainwater off the trees. Neither carried any form of light source, as both valued their secrecy. In Magix, the lone figure had arrived at the place he had been heading for. He crept down an alley that ran parallel to the building, looking for the window that would gain him entry. Ordinarily there would be security measures to prevent the occurrence of things such as this, but paying off a member of the security team had rendered these useless. A subtle flick of the thumb in front of the right window to open it without a sound, and the figure in the dark was inside the storeroom of the Museum of Magical Artefacts. Minutes later and he had found his prize on the upper floors. Without the necessary security it took seconds to remove it from its display case and moments later, the figure had vanished. In the forest, the other had settled in a clearing that was relatively devoid of dripping trees. He felt a shudder pass through him as something... happened. As though something had disappeared from the world that had held a strong presence there for a long time.

Shifting slightly on his makeshift chair that was actually a very damp log, Palladium lit his pipe. He glanced around as if expecting to see someone stepping out of the shadows to chastise him, before shoving his irrational feelings of guilt aside. He could easily have put a small amount of the elixir into his evening tisane or even measured out a dose to drink without diluting it, but the aftertaste was almost unbearable. The only other option was to use his pipe. As a vapour it had virtually no aftertaste, and the effects were stronger too. His only problem was that Faragonda might not see it in the same light. Though she trusted his skill as a potion brewer, elixirs were not to be taken lightly - especially those in the palliative area. Concerns aside, breakfast would be much improved without that sickly sweet aftertaste. Eventually, as the vapour began to take effect, he stopped feeling the pervasive cold and a feeling of, not quite warmth, but of a decent ambient temperature spread through his body. The mild pain that had been running through his arm almost constantly until that point became a feeling of mild discomfort and the tremors that he had not noticed before stopped entirely. Sitting on a log in the middle of the forest, he could almost feel as though he were at home. His awareness of time began to blur, and he became aware of the movement of every living creature around him. At the same time, he could have sworn that he could see the trees growing and the stars moving through the sky...

That was, until he realised that the sky had been overcast all day. Suddenly the feeling that had been bordering on warm was very rapidly becoming a cool chill. The pain had not returned but the tremors, that he had only noticed by their absence, were replaced by shivers. This struck him as odd as it had been much colder at home and he had never really been so affected before. It could not have been a mistake in his brewing that had caused this, as he had been taking the elixir for a few days with no ill effect. However that creature had affected him, whatever illness he was seemingly falling prey to, something had been changed by the 'something' that had happened earlier. Whenever that was. With his sense of time lacking its usual precision he decided it was probably about time to return to Alfea. The second revelation he faced that night was that he now had only the vaguest idea of which direction to walk in. It took a few moments for this to sink in, but when he was absolutely certain that his chances of returning of his own accord were very slim he had a decision to make. Wait until daylight, when he would be able to know for certain exactly where he was, or use the pool of water that had collected in a dip in the log to scry for help. He knew which would bring results faster, but he also knew which would avoid all the questions he barely had answers to. As the wind picked up he tucked his pipe into a pocket and shuddered. He felt ill. Decision made, he muttered,  
"Draumr kópa."  
And he concentrated on the one person from whom he knew he would not receive a lecture. At least, not until the morning. The log under the pool faded away, and in its place the image of a very drowsy looking paladin appeared. The drowsiness left him very quickly when he realised that it was Palladium he could see in the rippling vision in his mirror.  
"What are you doing in the forest at this hour?"  
"I..."  
Palladium hadn't actually thought about what he was going to tell his friend, and now that he was trying it was becoming very difficult to decide whether or not he should tell the truth. His silence did not go unnoticed.  
"Are you alright?"  
"I- Yes. I'm fine. I... just appear to have lost my way."  
"If that was likely to happen I'd love to know why you thought it would be a good idea to go out at night in the first place."  
"...What matters is that I'd like to get home."  
"Do you know where you are?"  
"I'm sitting on a log in a small clearing. I turned left off the main path."  
"...I've done more with less. Stay where you are."  
"What are you doing?"  
"Getting dressed. From the sound of you I can't think of any other way you'll be getting home if I don't come and find you myself."  
The log pool dimmed and the image of Avalon faded out. He did not believe himself to sound so... Well, he could not find the word to describe it.

After a busy holiday and much travel, that night was the first in a week that Avalon could expect to get some undisturbed sleep. Needless to say, he was less than impressed to be woken up in the early hours by a rather sheepish Palladium. Once he was dressed he let himself out through the skylight and spread his wings in the cold night air. When using basic tracking charms that showed the trail of the person being traced, the best place to be was in the sky. It made things easier when said person actually wanted to be found, too. It took only a few minutes of circling in the air to spot the elf sitting forlornly in a small clearing off the trail. It occurred to him that Palladium was probably embarrassed about finding himself lost in a forest that he knew so well, and he made a note to avoid saying anything that would make his friend feel any worse. He may have been woken up in the middle of a decent night's sleep, but he knew Palladium was probably feeling guilty enough to make up for it without Avalon complaining. All thoughts were pushed from his mind, however, when he landed. Even in the dark, he could see how pale the elf was. The forest around them was unnaturally still, which added to his growing sense of unease. Palladium didn't even look up as he approached and seemed to be staring fixedly at something Avalon couldn't see.  
"Palladium?"  
Hearing his name made him flinch.  
"I'm sorry I called you out at this time of night."  
"Are you all right?"  
"...I'm fine."  
"You don't seem so convinced."  
"I'm just disorientated."  
"Just? You look ill."  
Palladium's gaze dropped to somewhere beyond his right elbow.  
"I'm fine."  
"If you were fine you wouldn't have needed to contact me. You've already told me you were disorientated. What aren't you telling me?"  
He couldn't help letting a small amount of annoyance filter into his voice as he couldn't think why Palladium would be trying to hide anything from him, especially after asking for his help. His friend shifted, seemingly uncomfortable with being asked so many questions. He sighed. Softening his tone, he tried again.  
"Okay. I won't push you for an answer - not tonight, anyway," he added under his breath.  
"Thank you," came the murmured response. The elf was staring at something behind him again, so he turned to follow the elfin stare into the darkness. He was struck by the stillness of the forest around them, but could see nothing particularly unusual. It was at this point that Avalon decided enough was enough.  
"Stand up. I'm flying us back."  
Palladium said nothing, but he could see the alarm in his expression.  
"It's the fastest way back. I won't let you fall."  
"...If you're sure..."  
"It's this or we walk, and I don't think you're in any condition to do that."  
"I'm fine! I just-"  
"You're still sitting. Stand up and convince me that you're fine."  
Again his friend was silent, but this time his expression was a grimace. He eased himself up from the log and stood rather shakily in front of the doubtful paladin.  
"I'm not convinced. Come on; I'm flying us back."

The next morning brought Palladium a difficult conversation. He had arrived early for breakfast, as usual, but was put off his morning plate of fruit by the presence of Avalon, who had somehow managed to make eating toast seem ominous. Or Palladium was starting to project his thoughts onto others, but he preferred the more whimsical explanation. His friend was evidently trying to come up with a way of approaching the subject of the night before without sounding too much like he was complaining, which he really had every right to do. He felt deserving of whatever lecture Avalon could come up with. Although he felt no remorse for his decision to go out he did regret having to ask for help, both because it made him appear irresponsible and because it was such an inconvenience for someone who clearly needed a full night's sleep. He decided to put the paladin out of his misery and speak first.  
"I believe I owe you some form of explanation."  
"It would seem that you do."  
Avalon's tone was not unfriendly, but it had an element of disapproval to it that sent a jolt of guilt down to the pit of his stomach. Which left no room for breakfast.  
"...It doesn't- It's not supposed to do that - my elixir, I mean."  
He watched as his friend's eyebrows lowered into a frown.  
"Elixir?"  
"Ah..."  
Rather belatedly, Palladium remembered his decision to not mention his elixir to anyone.  
"I have questions, and I'm rather hoping I'm not going to bear witness to the elven capacity to avoid giving answers."  
The guilt coagulated into consternation and he felt his mouth grow dry, anticipating the verbal minefield he would be about to traverse.  
"My answers will depend upon your questions."  
"Is it dangerous?"  
"That would be determined by your definition of dangerous."  
The look Avalon gave him was withering. He carried on hastily,  
"As with any palliative substance, a dose that is unnecessarily high could have ill effects. I am well aware of my tolerance threshold and do not intend to exceed it."  
"The effects I saw last night could be defined as ill."  
"I have no explanation for the side effects last night. I've experienced nothing like it before."  
"Then would you like to explain instead why you were off site?"  
"I didn't think Faragonda would approve..."  
He said this quietly, feeling very much as though he were sealing his fate. Avalon raised an eyebrow but said nothing, so Palladium answered the unspoken question.  
"The composition of the elixir is not entirely standard. I am obviously capable of brewing my own potions so I took the liberty of adapting the formula to suit my needs. That alongside my preferred method of consumption would render the situation rather dubious."  
"Palladium, I can't pretend to know nothing about this. I'm also concerned about the side effects you experienced last night. Disorientation, weakness and something that appeared to be hallucination. I think the first two could be lived with, but... The third could have a serious impact on your teaching."  
"I told you, it doesn't do that. I don't know what happened."  
"How long have you been using it?"  
"A week or so."  
Here, they paused to clear up the remnants of their respective meals. Neither of them had eaten much, but with the slightly late arrival of Faragonda and Griselda they thought it would be better to continue their conversation elsewhere.

Once they were out in the corridor Avalon asked about something he had noticed Palladium mention earlier in their conversation. It had stuck in his mind and he felt that now was a very good time to bring it up.  
"You mentioned a method of consumption. How does it affect the situation?"  
"While vapour is sometimes used to aid recovery it is not usually used as the primary method of treatment. I prefer it, but it does appear to have side effects. I could drink it in its base form, but..."  
"But?"  
"It tastes bad."  
If the look he gave Palladium before was withering, the look he was giving the chagrined elf now was actually having a physical effect. He watched his friend flush a rather handsome shade of pink.  
"As excuses go, I've heard better from students. I see now why you thought Faragonda would disapprove."  
"But... It's true..."  
Avalon said nothing, and the pair lapsed into silence.

They wandered towards Avalon's office, where they had left the assorted paraphernalia they would need for the day. As the students were set to return on Sunday, most of Saturday would be spent in preparation for the new term. This meant that their day would consist of a staff meeting on safeguarding and a training course for goodness-knows-what. Most schools would have told their staff the subject of their training course, but Avalon had his suspicions that Faragonda liked to keep her staff on their toes. Any time left before dinner would be spent organising classrooms and equipment, then the rest of the evening would be team building. Or, as Palladium put it, an opportunity to create scores to be settled later in the term. As they approached his office he noticed the way the elf was walking. He seemed to be limping; stiff on his right side. He wondered if it was caused by the events of the previous night, or if there was more to his injury than he had let on. It took all of his restraint not to say anything when Palladium flinched as he walked past to unlock the office door. If he was going to ask any more questions, he would likely receive better answers later on in the day when his friend had recovered from the first set that morning.


End file.
